


The Time of Dragons, The Time of Men

by OutlandishLuminary



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternate Universe - Medieval, Alternate Universe - Shapeshifters, Culture, F/F, F/M, M/M, Shapeshifting, Thropes, dragonstuck
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-10
Updated: 2016-09-27
Packaged: 2018-05-01 00:15:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 1,285
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5185001
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OutlandishLuminary/pseuds/OutlandishLuminary
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dragonstuck. Trolls are dragons. Can shapeshift into human form. Karkat is discovered to be a mutant by Gamzee. He escapes. Set in Medieval Europe. No one knows about dragons. I'm bad at summaries. Sorry about that.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Shifting Time

The shift is always the hardest part. Your scales burn into skin, bones shrink, your wings growing into your back. Joints pop, bones crack, and you shrink and shrink and shrink. It hurts. It should- it's not natural. You fall to your burning side as you finish the shift. Panting, you just lay there. You wish you didn't have to do this. You wish you could stay, you wish you could just rest here. But you can't. You have to move. Now. Before- "Hey there! You alright?" You look up in alarm at the blue eyed boy. How long has he been there? "I'm fine." You start to get up, but your arms give out. Fuck you, arms. Fuck. You. "Here." The boy helps you up, despite your protests. "Really, I'm fine." You try to push his hands away and walk. Your knees buckle. Really, legs? You too? The boy catches you. "How about you come with me to the village. No, I know, you're fine, but don't you want a real bed? It can't be comfortable to sleep on the ground." You grumble. At least this way you'll be harder to find. "Alright. I'll come with you to the dumbfuck village." His face lights up in a grin as you relent and let him help you. "I'm John, by the way." You consider the danger of giving him your name, but... Fuck it. "Karkat."


	2. Who the Fuck are You?

You bring the strange boy back to the village. He's short, shorter than you. And that's saying something. You wonder where he came from? He doesn't look like he's been in the woods very long. He- Karkat, his name is Karkat- looked like he was having a nightmare. You're glad he woke up when he did! Otherwise you might not have seen him. And maybe Vriska'll be mad that you missed your meeting, but she won't be _that_ awful! She's pretty cool, actually. You think she may like you. That would be weird, but really cool! You better get this guy- Karkat!- back to the village first. Actually, where's he going to sleep? He can't stay with you! Your dad would get really mad if you brought a guest over without telling him. You're going to have to get one of your friends to take him. You knock on Jade's door first. She opens it. "Hey John!" You look inside and see your other two friends already seated. "Hey Jade! Mind if I come in?" "Sure, take a seat, join us! Oh! Who's that?" "That's Karkat, he-" "Fuck you! I do not need your fucking help to introduce myself, fuckass!" "Jeez! Temper!" Jade says, frowning and begrudgingly stepping to the side to let you and Karkat in. She's still frowning when she closes the door. "Hey Dave!" "Sup John!" "Hello Rose!" "Good afternoon to you too, John." You grin. Your friends are so cool. "John, why did you bring a stranger inside Jade's house?" Karkat inhales and opens his mouth, but you beat him to it. "Karkat needs a place to stay." His mouth snaps shut and he glares at you. You ignore him, grinning. "Why?" Jade does not look happy to have Karkat in her house. "I found him sleeping out on the forest floor. He can't stay with me or Dad would be super mad." "Due to my mother's... problems... it would be unwise for Karkat to stay at my house." You open your mouth to ask the others. You close it again as you are interrupted. "He can't stay here. I am not going to be insulted in my own house." Karkat glares at Jade. Jade glares back. "Dave?" "Sure. Bro just... Well... there's an extra bed." "Cool! Karkat, are you alright with that?" Karkat huffs. "As if I have any fucking choice in the matter. Fine. I'll go live with the fucking blonde douchebag." "Great! Well, that solves that problem!" You beam at your friends. Karkat scowls. That seems to be his set expression. You're so glad you got Karkat a place to stay. It makes you feel so much better about this entire day.


	3. To Sleep

After talking with your friends for several hours, you are able to take Karkat home. Not that you don't like them, but sometimes they can be a bit much. And normally you would lead them, creating stranger and stranger topics to tromp through, but today you weren't feeling up to your game. Then there had been the addition of Karkat, which left your friends puzzling for words and replies to the unfamiliar mind. After the token two hours, they started to ignore him entirely. He didn't fit, somehow. After two more hours, he was dozing off. That was when you decided it was time to go.  
As soon as you got to your house and showed Karkat the bed, he was out like a light.  
Soon, you go to bed yourself, surrounded by the birds you had stuffed the summer before. 

You wake, hours later, to a rapid knock on the door.


	4. Unnecessary Terror

You wake up to muttering coming from Dave's front room. It sounds like he's talking to some girl. You try to fall back to sleep, snuggling down in the quilt you were given. You close your eyes and try to sleep. It doesn't work very well. It is very hard to sleep when you're trying to, and very easy to when you're not. You open your eyes and look up to see someone coming through the door. Wait, that isn't- Fuck! You're dead, you're dead, you are so fucking dead right now! You hope she hasn't noticed you, but you doubt it. In fact, she's probably come to drag you back so Pyralsprite can 'purify' you. This is just going to be your life from now on, isn't it. You think you're safe, and then, BAM! You aren't. "Karkles, I know you're awake." Goddamnit. You shift, getting ready to run. You know she's stronger than you, probably faster too. She moves towards you. You bolt towards the door. Fast as a tailflick, she's there. All the air goes out of your lungs as you land flat on your ass. She's down as well. "Karkles, I'm so happy to see you!" You turn your head to look at her. She's smiling.

This is Terezi we're talking about, so that could mean one of two things. Either there's about to be justice, or she is actually happy to see you. 

No one can be happy to see you. They all think you're a freak, an abomination of nature, possessed. Terezi seems to catch your expression and inches forward. She tackle-hugs you. "Fuck! Terezi!" Is she- is she nuzzling you? Oh, thank fuck, she's not going to turn you in. She knows exactly what would happen, after all. You relax. "Terezi, why are you here? It's dangerous. What if they caught you?" "Karkles, you're in more danger than I am. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine." You turn your head to face her and raise your eyebrows. She's never been this flippant about the law before. What's changed? She leans forward and- you're kissing. You have dreamed of this moment. You close your eyes. Eventually, you both come up for air. "Trust me." is all she says. You cry as all of the stress leaks out. She doesn't care! Terezi Pyrope doesn't care that you're a freak of fucking nature. "Sh, sh Karkles." "I-I-you- you don't care?" "About what?" "I'm a mutated freak! I'm -" "No! And red is my favorite color, silly!" She kisses you again, then licks your cheek. "Yummy." "Ew, Terezi!" You kiss her back. You don't know how long this goes on, and you don't really care, either.


End file.
